Are lessons in Orthodoxy and other religions compulsory at school?
In Russian schools, classes in Orthodoxy or other religions may be introduced, but by virtue of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Law No. 125-FZ, children attend them only with the consent of their parents or guardians, and also if they themselves want it.
Russia is a secular state. This is stated in Art. 14 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. No religion can be established as state or compulsory. Accordingly, one cannot be forced to study Orthodoxy or other divine teachings against one’s will.
Voluntariness in the choice of religion by schoolchildren is established by Part 5 of Art. 3 of the Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” dated September 26, 1997 No. 125-FZ. It is prohibited to involve minors in religious associations, to teach religion against their will and without the consent of their parents or persons in their stead.
Important! If your child is forced to study Orthodoxy, Buddhism or another religion, refer to this provision of law in your complaints. It is clear and cannot be interpreted in two ways.
Meanwhile Art. 4 of Law No. 125 establishes that the powers of executive authorities of constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the field of education include the development and implementation of educational programs, taking into account the characteristics of the region of residence. Accordingly, at the local level, educational authorities can include additional subjects for schoolchildren in the national curriculum. For example, in the Caucasus they teach the languages and history of the peoples inhabiting the region (“History of Chechnya”, “Kabardian Epic”, etc.).
ConsultantPlus has many ready-made solutions, including the article “The secular nature of general education in the Russian Federation.” If you don't have access to the system yet, sign up for a free trial online! You can also get the current K+ price list.
What our children are taught in religion lessons
Children will be taught Orthodoxy in schools, but no one is going to impose Orthodox values on them.
Starting this academic year, by order of the government, a new subject was introduced in schools - “Fundamentals of World Religious Cultures.” Does this mean that the “Law of God” has now officially appeared in Russia? And in general, is this subject necessary, and even in the format of a school requirement? Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondents Elena Krivyakina and Andrei Moiseenko went to a lesson in one of the Moscow schools.
“ORTHODOXY IS A FAMILY MATTER”
We did not choose the school ourselves. It was recommended to us by the Moscow Department of Education. School No. 1747 is not simple, but with an ethnocultural (Russian) component of education. However, not only Russians study here.
— We have a lot of people: Ossetians, Lezgins, a lot of Koreans, however, everyone speaks Russian well. And a few years ago, as it happened: people from the Caucasus and Central Asia come to our school, read that the school has an ethnocultural component, and turn around and go to another one. Well, thank God, we thought,” one of the teachers tells us, asking not to use her name.
Teachers and parents decided which religion to take as the basis for a new subject. Of the six options, dad and mom, deciding not to wake up the trouble, chose a neutral one - “Fundamentals of world religious cultures.”
— Orthodoxy is a family matter. If they want to study Orthodoxy deeply, let them go to Orthodox schools. We have nothing yet, but look what, for example, is happening in the Eastern District! How many migrant children are there? In some schools, Russian has already begun to be taught as a foreign language! What kind of Orthodoxy is this! - teachers notice.
“During the lesson we will cover the topic “Religion and Culture,” the charming young teacher Yulia Permyakova tells the fourth-graders.
In her hands and on the children’s tables are color photocopies of pages from the textbook.
— Books on the subject are not yet provided. We photocopied it ourselves, they explain to us...
QURAN, DATZAN AND GOOSE FEATHERS
- What commandments do you know? - the teacher asks the children.
- Honor your father and mother! - comes in response.
- Right. What can’t you do?
Children have a hard time trying to remember.
- Mention God! - one of the boys blurts out, apparently forgetting the word “in vain.”
“It’s a controversial question,” the teacher smiles.
Next is the main thing.
- Religion can unite both the poor and the rich who bathe in earthly blessings! - the teacher inspires.
Actually, the subject was introduced to explain to children that the world is multifaceted, that one faith should not be at enmity with another, that one must be tolerant. Images of religious buildings appear on the interactive board. Children must explain how a mosque, synagogue and datsan differ from an Orthodox church.
- I can tell you about the mosque! — one of the girls raises her hand. “In the evening, around six o’clock, so to speak, my father goes into one of the towers and reads a prayer book!”
“The Koran,” the teacher corrects.
- Yes, Koran! - the girl reports.
— Ksyusha was in the United Arab Emirates. Our children travel a lot,” explains the teacher.
“Children, Christians have a church, Muslims have a mosque, Jews have a synagogue, Buddhists have a datsan,” the teacher repeats once again like a mantra. — The church has a cross at the top, the datsan has a roof curved upward at the corners.
By the way, after the lesson we asked the guys who the Jews were. The closest answer to the correct one is: “We saw them in Jerusalem in the summer.”
Then the teacher tells how difficult it was for the first Christians to copy the holy books by hand. Remembers the monks Cyril and Methodius, the inventors of the Cyrillic alphabet. So that the children can feel this, the teacher distributes four quill pens and jars of ink to the class and invites everyone to write: “Russia”, “temple”, “Orthodoxy”, “Moscow”. The kids like the idea. But the lesson is not rubber-stamp, and writing with a pen is not a fountain pen. According to our observations, about eight out of 22 students managed to “plunge into antiquity.”
— Repeat, what is the name of a Buddhist religious building? — this is probably the fifth time the teacher asks.
- DOCEN! — the students make mistakes almost in unison.
Children will be taught Orthodoxy in schools, but no one is going to impose Orthodox values on them.
RELIGION “EATED” RUSSIAN LESSON
To start teaching “Fundamentals of Religious Cultures...”, Yulia Permyakova, like other teachers, had to take advanced training courses. They were conducted not by priests, but by secular teachers. But no one really explained how to teach the lessons themselves. We relied on the creativity of teachers. In 1747, hours for the new subject were carved out from Russian language lessons. Additionally, you cannot introduce a new subject; the regulations do not allow it.
“That is, now we are going through life not five hours, but four,” explains Yulia Permyakova.
— Was it an important hour? — let’s clarify.
- Yes, important. But here everything depends on the skill of the teacher: whether this or that discipline will suffer or not.
Most of the kids in the class are representatives of the titular nation, but only three or four of their parents more or less regularly attend the temple. The rest have no literate understanding of any religion. There are no plans to invite priests to children at school yet. Excursions to churches are also not planned.
“We have priests who are ready to give teachers any advice. But inviting them to school to teach lessons all the time is unnecessary,” explains school director Marina Sotnikova...
OPINIONS
BEHIND
Love must be taught!
Children these days are incredibly savvy. They can handle iPhones and iPads without the slightest difficulty, and know the nuances of Android and all kinds of consoles and gadgets. They read smart books, can easily find any information on the Internet, dress stylishly, go on trips abroad and speak foreign languages quite well. In a word, they are ready for adult life and will find a place in the sun for themselves. But behind all this tinsel, the main thing is forgotten. Children are not taught love. Would you say that this should be done in the family? Of course it is necessary. But how many people do it? As a result, our beautiful, smart, “packed” children value most of all themselves and a handful of their friends, often virtual, from the Internet. People who are different in their views, beliefs, and traditions are sometimes no longer considered human beings. You need to teach tolerance, respect, tolerance from an early age. And you shouldn’t rely only on your family for this. Then there is a chance that today’s schoolchildren, in five to ten years, will not take to the streets with knives and bats, seeking to destroy those who are not like them for one reason or another. Religion lessons at school are a small step, but still a step in this direction.
Elena KRIVIAKINA
AGAINST
Better give more time to the multiplication tables
I don’t understand why they decided to study “Fundamentals of Religious Culture...” (no matter what - Orthodoxy, Buddhism, Islam...) in elementary school. My own children are fourth graders. These are very small people. They still unconditionally trust adults - parents and teachers. You can hammer anything into their heads. For example, that there is a “correct” faith and all the others. And therefore, some people deserve respect, while others may not be considered as such at all. What kind of student will emerge after such a lesson depends only on the personal views and pedagogical skills of the teacher.
Who is the teacher? For “Fundamentals…” they were “molded” in a couple of weeks from humanities teachers, those who wanted to get extra hours and, therefore, additional income. At regional courses they were retrained by tutors - also hastily trained teachers in Moscow. A fundamental approach, to say the least.
And one more thing: religion is a subtle matter that envelops many areas of human life. How to fit it into a course that runs one lesson per week? It’s better to give your kids more time to memorize a variety of “zhi-shi” and multiplication tables. And a child will learn much more about religion in the summer, when he goes on vacation with his parents and sees the Orthodox churches of Kyiv or Vladimir, visits the Holy Land of Jerusalem or plunges into the waters of the Ganges.
Andrey MOISEENKO
Nobody wanted to choose
And after our journalists went to school, we invited the authors of textbooks on the new subject, experts and religious figures to the editorial office to sum up the results of the first month of training
In my opinion, there is only one conclusion from the heated conversation: a very crude course has been launched. And it is not yet clear what there will be more of in the end. Are there any benefits from the fact that the laboriously born “Fundamentals of Religious Culture and Secular Ethics” (in pedagogical slang, already called by its abbreviation - ORKSE) finally began to teach? Or the harm from the fact that one of the most difficult subjects was placed on the shoulders of teachers, without providing either the necessary methods or textbooks in sufficient quantities, again hoping that our teachers, trained to “sow the reasonable, the good, the eternal,” will handle it, figure it out, and cover up represent the mistakes of officials.
These application sheets with the module already filled out were distributed to parents in one of the schools near Moscow.
SIX LESSONS FOR ONE
Somehow it turns out that our people, if they are not pressured or pushed, turn out to be more reasonable, wiser than the authorities who want to benefit them. When the new subject was just being developed, we were convinced that ORKSE would teach tolerance, taking into account the interests of all citizens of a multi-religious country. Therefore, in the end, the object took the form of a six-headed monster. One course combines “neutral” modules - “Fundamentals of secular ethics” and “Fundamentals of world religious cultures” and modules dedicated to four traditional religions of Russia – “Fundamentals of Orthodox culture”, “Fundamentals of Islamic culture”, “Fundamentals of Buddhist culture” and “ Fundamentals of Jewish culture".
Ideally, let me remind you, the teaching scheme was proposed as follows: the child, together with his parents, chooses a module that is closer to their family. And the school provides teaching exactly this. Let's put it this way: if there are ten children in a class from Orthodox families, seven from Muslim families, six from those who do not openly declare adherence to a particular religion, one from Buddhists and one from Jews, then at school ORKSE is taught in the form of five lessons. On one are those who are listening to a module about the foundations of Orthodoxy, on the other are those who like secular ethics or the foundations of world religious cultures... And so on.
Psychologists already said then: such a division would not lead to anything good. On the contrary, it will highlight the differences among classmates. It won’t smooth out the corners, but stick out.
Thank God (common and united) - such division did not happen in life. I don’t know of a single class in the country where teachers teach several modules at once. If you have such a class, please write to us at KP and tell us how your teacher (address) copes with this matter.
But the reason is not in psychology or in the understanding that dividing children into different audiences does not strengthen interethnic and interfaith friendship. With this option, schools simply do not have enough money for teachers’ salaries, and there are few teachers themselves. With ORKSE, ideally it would work out like this: if one teacher teaches several modules, he needs to pay for several lessons, even if there is only one student in the lesson. But how can this be done under the condition of normative per capita financing, when the basis for calculating wages is man-hours?!
Some of them threw life safety teachers, some historians, some teachers of world artistic culture, and some simply retrained them in courses at institutes for advanced training of primary school teachers (the subject is taught in the 4th grade). Their worries are beyond the roof.
As a result, at best, which module to choose was decided by the whole class. At worst, the decision came down from above. Thus, in Ingushetia, all schoolchildren “chose” “Fundamentals of Islamic Culture.” In Chechnya, the result was approximately the same, only about a hundred children got the opportunity to study “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture.” In Tatarstan they acted more subtly. The republic, which was previously accused of Islamizing all spheres of life, probably after several Wahhabi terrorist attacks against authoritative imams adhering to the canons of traditional Islam, unanimously chose the “Fundamentals of Secular Ethics.”
In many regions, including Moscow, wise parents chose secular ethics. Even believers. They rightly assumed: it is better to let priests teach their religion in Sunday school than teachers who hastily studied the course.
SEPARATED
As a result, the country was divided again. By modules. The idea of introducing children to the cultural and moral characteristics of all the main religions of Russia was reduced to six lessons. So much of the program includes a quick introduction to other areas not included in the chosen module. (The course consists of 34 lessons in total.)
But unexpectedly for me, the participants in the “round table” in “KP” thought that such a division was not so bad.
— If ORKSE helps the children to understand “their” religion - the one that is professed in their families - they will treat representatives of other cultures with great respect. A cultured person is a tolerant person,” says the head. scientific and methodological office of the department of religious education and catechesis of the Russian Orthodox Church Igor Metlik.
Another question: will the teachers accept it? It looks like not all of them. To teach ORKSE, teachers had to take a 72-hour course at the Institute for Advanced Studies. Just two weeks to understand the depths of Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and the foundations of all religions?! (Teachers, in theory, after the courses should be ready to teach any of the six modules with “excellence.”) As a result, in some places the teaching of a cultural subject has turned into the “Law of God”: it is easier for a rural teacher, a parishioner of the local church, to teach it.
“The problem is the psychological unpreparedness of teachers to teach a completely new subject,” says Alexander Danilyuk, head of the center for educational projects of the publishing house Prosveshcheniye, author of a book for parents on the new subject. — The advanced training courses that were and are now being conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science do not cover the number of teachers that is needed.
As a result, in Kursk, during a lesson on “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture,” I heard the teacher tell the children: “If you eat meat during Lent, you will go to hell.” From a traditional point of view, she is right. But the teacher does not take into account children's perceptions. As a result, one girl in the class stopped eating meat altogether.
Teachers who went to the blackboard on September 1 still don’t even have officially approved teaching materials. Teachers get out on their own. The result? In one of the manuals created by local authors, children are asked to fill out a table listing the 7 commandments: do not steal, do not lie, etc. And among them, do not commit adultery. And explain why this cannot be done. This is in 4th grade...
“The terms of reference for the development of teaching aids for the ORKSE course were received from the Ministry of Education and Science only a month and a half ago,” explains Danilyuk. — In December, we must complete them and coordinate them with representatives of all faiths. This is a fantastically short timeframe!
Alexander MILKUS, editor of the education department of “KP”
VERBATIM
“The course “Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics,” which has been included in a compulsory part of the fourth-grade curriculum since September 2012, should be taught by professional teachers, not theologians. I draw attention to the fact that it is extremely important for our country that this course is taught by competent specialists, preferably with higher pedagogical education, and not theologians. They can be invited, this is absolutely normal, but this is still a secular course, not a theological course,” Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting of the government commission on the socio-economic development of the North Caucasus.
The head of government instructed the regional leaders of the North Caucasian Federal District to take control of the situation and prepare the necessary proposals.
INSTEAD OF AN AFTERWORD
Are you in a hurry?
— Initially, the idea of teaching this subject in 4th and 5th grades seemed dubious to me and many of my colleagues. It would be better to move it at least to the 6th grade, after schoolchildren have gone through the history of the Ancient World, the history of the Middle Ages, there will be a cultural, historical background so that children understand the subject better, says the author of the textbook on “Fundamentals of Jewish Culture” Mikhail Members. — It is very difficult to present religion as a cultural and moral teaching in elementary school.
Maybe we shouldn't have rushed? Is it good or bad that ORKSE went everywhere? Shouldn’t it have been worth waiting a year and then “strike with all guns”? Our experts say no. Firstly, in many regions there is already a subject similar to “Fundamentals...”. Moreover, in some places it really resembled the “Law of God” in the program. What was needed was a uniform cultural program, a uniform approach.
Yes, experts admit, this year it will be much more difficult for fourth-graders and their teachers than for those who come next. But even an ORKSE course taught “on the knee” is better than its absence.
“We are just laying the foundations of a normal system that will be built in 5 to 10 years,” explains Alexander Danilyuk. — Someone says that we are introducing religion into schools. This is wrong. What is religious upbringing and education? And what is cultural education? Religion is the unity of faith and worship. Where there is a cult, there is a religion. If there is no cult, then there is no religion. Even if they talk about God there. There is a line in the Russian Anthem: “God-protected native land.” Can we say that singing the anthem is a religious cult? There are words about God, about prayers in textbooks, icons are published - but this is part of our cultural heritage.
“We will never ensure that the introduction of a new subject is supported by 100% of the population,” says Igor Metlik. — But there is data from surveys by the Public Chamber and the Civil Service Academy based on the results of testing the course in 21 regions of the country. Between 80 and 90% of parents found it useful.
Rice. Katerina MARTINOVICH.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What can religion lessons teach children?
A new subject has begun to be taught in Russian schools: “Fundamentals of World Religions.”
Roman SILANTYEV, director of the human rights center of the World Russian People's Council:
— Children will be able to better study the history of their country, the classics of Russian and foreign literature, because religion is part of world culture. The only thing is that there should be professional teachers of this subject.
Alexey OVCHINNIKOV, best teacher of Russia 2011:
“In the future, this knowledge will help us be more tolerant of representatives of other religions.”
Vladimir Platonov, Chairman of the Moscow City Duma:
“Such lessons expand knowledge, because religion has played a great role in the history of mankind. This is very important for understanding many issues, including historical events.
Alexander FEDOROV, rector of the Pedagogical University (Nizhny Novgorod):
— It is unlikely that these lessons will be able to provide deep knowledge in the history of religion, since they are taught in elementary school. But this is only the first stage of the project, which I am sure will change.
Svetlana IVANOVA, actress (TV series “Palm Sunday”):
“Lessons like these will teach you how to think.” Religion is the reality of our life. We live with her, even if we don’t think about her.
Arkady BABCHENKO, writer:
- If only there were no grades in these lessons! A bad mark in religion is a direct path to heresy!
Father CONSTANTINE, rector of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross:
“The church doesn’t teach, the church helps you understand.” In any case, such lessons should tell not only about the Orthodox faith, but also about other faiths, about the world history of faith.
Tatiana LEBEDEVA, Olympic champion:
“I expect my child to be told about the spiritual development of man from ancient times to the present day.” How religions were born, how people's consciousness changed. But in no case did they drum faith into him. So that religious fanatics are not allowed into the classroom. Knowing our love for excesses, I think this is also possible.
Ekaterina, listener of Radio “KP”:
— It is difficult to talk or argue about God without knowing the history of religion.
Irina, reader of the KP.RU website:
— I hope that the Unified State Examination in this subject will not be introduced.
For a month now, schools have been teaching “Fundamentals of Religious Culture.” What changed?
What religion can be taught in school?
Given the multi-religious nature of the country, it is theoretically possible to teach any official religion in schools. Knowledge in this area in most schools is given in the form of electives - outside of school hours, at the request of the students.
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In order to instill in the younger generation the correct perception regarding religion, the draft Federal Educational State Standard (FSES) for 2021 defines the following subject: “Fundamentals of Orthodox, Islamic, Buddhist or Jewish culture, fundamentals of religious cultures of the peoples of Russia or secular ethics.” In accordance with this program, parents are given the right to choose one of the listed religions for their child’s education.
Basic concepts related to religious education and enlightenment
Currently, the issue of religious education is one of the most pressing and complex.
This problem is of great interest not only from teachers, but also from society. Religion is one of the areas of social consciousness, represented by established and established beliefs that provide for unconditional devotion to a specific idea, law, value or principle.
Education is the process of transferring life experience to the younger generation and forming norms and rules of behavior accepted in society.
Definition 1
Religious education is an organized process aimed at the spiritual and moral improvement of the individual and promoting its development through a certain faith (in eternal life, endless love, perfection, etc.), instilled by various social institutions and manifested in all spheres of public life.
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The educational potential of religious education is based on the fact that its foundation is the integrity of knowledge and faith, which contribute to the development of value orientations in students and help self-determination in life.
One of the main elements of religious education is religious education, the main function of which is the transmission of specific knowledge in the field of religion. Religious education can only be carried out by persons with special professional training (clergy). Specific knowledge in the field of religion refers to various religious doctrines: values, lifestyle and attitude.
Objectives of religious education and enlightenment
The main tasks of religious education are as follows:
- Formation of an ethical personality. Within the framework of religious education, ethics is understood as responsibility to other people, in the broad sense of its understanding. A person can feel responsible for other people only if he is capable of empathy. That is why religious education is, first of all, aimed at developing mercy, kindness and the ability to compassion in a child. It is important to teach a child not just to perform an act of mercy, but to receive real satisfaction from it.
- The formation of the spiritual and moral qualities of the personality of each child is aimed at assimilation and acceptance of religious knowledge and rules, mastering the skills of moral behavior.
Need advice from a teacher in this subject area? Ask a question to the teacher and get an answer in 15 minutes! Ask a Question
The tasks of religious education are closely interrelated with each other. The spiritual and moral qualities of an individual are the basis for mercy. That is why, from the very appearance of religious education in schools (gymnasiums, lyceums), its main goal was to form a stable moral character in the child.
Note 1
Thus, religion in the process of education is called upon to spiritually “strengthen” specific thoughts, principles of life, principles and norms of behavior.
Religious education, despite all its contradictions, is very important, since it is what can make a person human, teach modern citizens to be people first and foremost. However, it is also important that a person cannot be forced to follow a specific religious path. Everyone must himself “come” to the religion that is closer and more understandable to him, or completely abandon any religion.
